HEAVEN IS A PHYSICAL PLACE
LUKE 16:19-31
TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE QUESTION “IS HEAVEN A PHYSICAL PLACE?”
THERE IS SOME CONTROVERSY OVER THIS ISSUE. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT HEAVEN IS ON AN ENTIRELY SPIRITUAL REALM WITH NO PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AT ALL. THERE IS A THOUGHT THAT IF HEAVEN WERE A PHYSICAL PLACE THAT IT WOULD BE LESS SPIRITUAL.
THERE IS A BELIEF THAT BECAUSE GOD DWELLS IN HEAVEN, AND THAT BECAUSE GOD IS SPIRIT AS JOHN 4:24 STATES, THEN HEAVEN ITSELF MUST BE A SPIRITUAL PLACE. THE MISTAKE MADE IS THAT HEAVEN AND GOD ARE LOOKED ON AS EQUALS IN THE SENSE THAT BOTH ARE SPIRITUAL, BUT THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN SAYING THAT GOD IS SPIRITUAL AND THAT HEAVEN IS A SPIRITUAL PLACE.
GOD CREATED HEAVEN, AND CHOOSES TO DWELL THERE. GOD DID NOT CREATE HEAVEN FOR HIMSELF. HE DIDN’T NEED IT. THE FACT IS THAT GOD CREATED HEAVEN FOR US TO LIVE WITH HIM.
RANDY ALCORN STATES:
“IT IS NO PROBLEM FOR THE ALL-POWERFUL GOD, A SPIRIT, TO DWELL IN A SPIRITUAL REALM OR A PHYSICAL REALM, OR A REALM THAT INCLUDES BOTH.”
THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION IS NOW WHERE GOD IS GOING TO BE FOR ETERNITY, BUT WHAT KIND OF ETERNAL ENVIRONMENT DO WE AS HUMANS REQUIRE? DO WE NEED A PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OR CAN WE EXIST ETERNALLY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL PROPERTIES?
BEFORE WE CAN ASK WHETHER HEAVEN WILL OR WILL NOT HAVE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, WE MUST FIRST DETERMINE WHAT ARE WE SPEAKING OF WHEN WE TALK OF HEAVEN?
LET’S START WITH DETERMINING HOW MANY HEAVENS THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF?
THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS THREE.
1. THE FIRST HEAVEN: IS THE BLUE SKY OVERHEAD. ITS WHERE THE BIRDS FLY.
2. THE SECOND HEAVEN IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS OUTER SPACE.
3. THE THIRD HEAVEN IS WHERE OUR SOULS AS CHRISTIANS GO WHEN WE DIE.
PAUL SPEAKS OF THE THIRD HEAVEN:
2 CORINTHIANS 12:2: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know— God knows.”
I WANT TO INTRODUCE A NEW THOUGHT TO YOU TODAY. WHEN WE SPEAK AS CHRISTIANS OF WHERE WE WILL BE FOR ETERNITY, IT WILL INVOLVE TWO PLACES:
1. INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN
2. THE NEW EARTH
WHAT THEN IS THE NATURE OF INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN?
RANDY ALCORN STATES:
“WHEN A CHRISTIAN DIES, HE OR SHE ENTERS INTO WHAT THEOLOGIANS CALL THE INTERMEDIATE STATE, A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD BETWEEN OUR PAST LIVES ON EARTH AND OUR FUTURE RESURRECTION TO LIFE ON THE NEW EARTH… BY DEFINITION, AN INTERMEDIATE STATE OR LOCATION IS TEMPORARY.”
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS. WHEN WE AS CHRISTIANS SAY “WE’RE GOING TO “HEAVEN” WHEN WE DIE,” THE HEAVEN THAT WE ARE REFERRING TO, IS THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN. IT IS WHERE WE WILL AWAIT THE TIME OF CHRIST’S RETURN TO THE EARTH, OUR BODILY RESURRECTION, THE FINAL JUDGMENTS, AND THE CREATION OF THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN.
1. THIS IS NOT WHAT SOME PEOPLE KNOW AS PERGATORY. THERE IS NO SUCH PLACE MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE AS PERGATORY, AND, THIS BELIEF DOES NOT IN ANY WAY FOLLOW THE BELIEFS ASSOCIATED WITH PERGATORY. LET ME BE PERFECTLY CLEAR ABOUT THIS, INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN IS NOT PERGATORY.
2. TO BELIEVE IN AN INTERMEDIATE OR TEMPORARY HEAVEN, IN NO WAY, TAKES AWAY FROM THE WONDER OR PLEASURE OF THE PLACE. JESUS TOLD THE THIEF ON THE CROSS, “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”.
3. UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS WILL BE WITH US IN INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN. WE WILL BE IN HIS PRESENCE THERE. OUR ETERNITY BEGINS IN INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN. THEN WHEN ALL IS READY THIS HEAVEN WILL COME DOWN AND WE WILL DWELL WITH CHRIST FOR ETENITY ON THE NEW EARTH.
REVELATION 21:1-4:
“1 ΒΆ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."”
4. HEAVEN IS A CREATED PLACE. IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO GOD, FOR GOD WAS BEFORE HEAVEN. HE CREATED IT FOR US. BECAUSE HE CREATED IT, HEAVEN IS NOT TIMELESS NOR CHANGELESS.
5. WE CAN SAY THAT HEAVEN HAS:
A) A PAST: THE TIME PRIOR TO CHRIST’S INCARNATION AND RESURRECTION.
B) A PRESENT: THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN, WHERE BELIEVERS GO WHEN THEY DIE
C) A FUTURE: THE ETERNAL HEAVEN OR THE NEW EARTH.
ANTHONY HOEKEMA WRITES:
“ THE NEW JERUSALEM….DOES NOT REMAIN IN A “HEAVEN” FAR OFF IN SPACE, BUT IT COMES DOWN TO THE RENEWED EARTH, THERE THE REDEEMED WILL SPEND ETERNITY IN RESURRECTION BODIES. SO HEAVEN AND EARTH NOW SEPARATED, WILL THEN BE MERGED, THE NEW EARTH WILL ALSO BE HEAVEN, SINCE GOD WILL DWELL THERE WITH HIS PEOPLE. GLORIFIED BELIEVERS, IN OTHER WORDS, WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN HEAVEN WHILE THEY ARE INHABITING THE NEW EARTH.”
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT AT THE TIME OF CREATION, HEAVEN AND EARTH WERE FULLY COMPATIBLE. THEY WERE WITHOUT THE CURSE OF SIN. ONCE THAT IS CORRECTED, HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL BE FULLY COMPATIBLE AGAIN. WE WILL KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE IN EDEN, FOR WE WILL BE IN EDEN AGAIN.
EPHESIANS 1:9-10: “9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment— to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”
NOW WE MUST ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT IN DEALING WITH LIFE AFTER DEATH, THAT WHAT IS TRUE OF ONE DIMENSION IS ALSO TRUE OF THE OTHER. THIS MEANS THAT BECAUSE THERE IS AN INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN, THAT WHAT WE REFER TO AS HELL IS ALSO AN INTERMEDIATE PLACE OF PUNISHMENT.
THE SCRIPTURE DEFINITELY STATES THAT HELL WILL BE CAST INTO ITS ETERNAL HOME, “THE LAKE OF FIRE”.
REVELATION 20:14-15
“14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
IS THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN A PART OF OUR UNIVERSE?
THE PRESENT HEAVEN IS NORMALLY INVISIBLE TO THOSE LIVING ON EARTH. THIS HOWEVER DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE REALITY OF HEAVEN. SCIENTISTS AT YALE, PRINCETON, AND STANFORD, POSTULATE THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST TEN UNOBSERVABLE DIMENSIONS AND AN INFINITE NUMBER OF IMPERCEPTABLE UNIVERSES.
WHY THEN SHOULD IT BE BEYOND THE REALM OF IMAGINATION TO BELIEVE IN AN UNOBSERVABLE DIMENSION CONTAINING ANGELS, HEAVEN AND HELL?
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT SOME HUMANS WERE ALLOWED TO SEE INTO HEAVEN.
STEPHEN WHEN HE WAS STONED:
ACTS 7:55-56:
“55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."”
2 KINGS 6:17:
“And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his (GEHAZI) eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
WAYNE GRUDEM STATES ABOUT STEPHENS DEATH:
‘STEPHEN DID NOT SEE MERE SYMBOLS OF A STATE OF EXISTENCE. IT WAS RATHER THAT HIS EYES WERE OPENED TO SEE A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF REALITY WHICH GOD HAS HIDDEN FROM US IN THIS PRESENT AGE, A DIMENSION WHICH NONE THE LESS REALLY DOES EXISTS IN OUR SPACE/TIME UNIVERSE, AND WITHIN JESUS NOW LIVES IN HIS PHYSICAL RESURRECTED BODY, WAITING EVEN NOW FOR A TIME WHEN HE WILL RETURN TO THE EARTH.”
THE TEXTS OF ACTS 7 AND 2 KINGS 6 ARE NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS, HISTORICAL IN NATURE. THEY ARE NOT PARABOLIC OR APOCALYPTIC IN NATURE AND THEREFORE DO NOT LEND THEMSELVES TO ANY OTHER MEANING THAN LITERAL. STEPHEN AND GEHAZI WERE ALLOWED TO SEE INTO A REAL DIMENSION THAT FOR THE MOST PART IS KEPT HIDDEN FROM OUR PRESENT AGE.
CHARLES SPURGEON ON HIS DEATHBED STATED:
“EARTH RECEDES AND HEAVEN OPENS.” I WONDER WHAT DID HE SEE?
LET US DEAL THEN WITH THE QUESTION AT HAND IS THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN A PHYSICAL PLACE?
1. WE ARE DEALING WITH THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN FOR WE KNOW THAT THE NEW EARTH IS DEFINITELY A PHYSICAL PLACE AND WE WILL HAVE PHYSICAL BODIES THERE.
2. BECAUSE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN WAS CREATED BY GOD, NOT OUT OF NECESSITY FOR HIM, THAT HE CREATED IT AS OUR DWELLING PLACE. SINCE WE HAVE PHYSICAL BODIES ON THE NEW EARTH, IT IS NOT INCONCEIVABLE THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME FORM OF PHYSICAL BODY IN HEAVEN. THIS WOULD NECESSITATE A DWELLING PLACE WITH PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
3. REVELATION DESCRIBES A NUMBER OF PHYSICAL QUALITIESW IN INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN.
REVELATION 7:9: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
REVELATION 15:8: “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”
REVELATION 8:6: “Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.”
Revelation 19:14: “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.”
Revelation 8:13: “As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"”
4. CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY THAT EARTH IS HEAVEN’S SHADOW. IF THIS IS THE CASE AND IT COULD CERTAINLY BE, THEN WHAT IS IN HEAVEN IS ALSO WHAT WE CAN SEE ON EARTH. JESUS SPOKE OF THIS AT PETER’S GREAT CONFESSION:
MATTHEW 16:18-19:
“18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."”
HEBREWS 8:5
“They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."”
HEBREWS 9:24:
“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”
5. IN OUR PASSAGE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS, LAZARUS IS DEPICTED AS BEING IN ABRAHAMS BOSOM, A PLACE OF PARADISE. THE THIEF ON THE CROSS WAS TOLD BY JESUS THAT “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”. PARADISE IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE A PHYSICAL PLACE.
REVELATION 2:7:
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
THE TREE OF LIFE IN THE GAREN OF EDEN WAS NOT DESTROYED, MERELY MAN’S ABILITY TO GET TO IT. EDEN ITSELF WAS NOT DESTROYED. IT DID NOT LOSE IT’S PHYSICALLITY. IT WAS MOVED TO A PLACE TEMPORARILY INACCESSIBLE TO US, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE TREE OF LIFE IS IN HEAVEN.
IT OPENS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN BEING A PART OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, POSSIBLY A GREAT PARK LIKE CENTRAL PARK IN NEW YORK.
6. THE ACCOUNT OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS ASCRIBES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED. SOME THINK THIS ACCOUNT IS A PARABLE, I DO NOT. EVEN IF IT WERE, WHAT IS IT TRYING TO TEACH, AND WHAT ARE IT’S SECONDARY LESSONS, ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE?
THIS IS THE ONLY PARABLE IN WHICH JESUS GIVES A SPECIFIC NAME TO SOMEONE IN THE STORY? GIVING THE NAME LAZARUS GIVES CREEDANCE TO THE REALITY OF THE STORY. THUS IT OPENS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IF LAZARUS WAS A REAL MAN THAN THIS IN FACT WAS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO THESE MEN AFTER THEIR DEATHS.
THUS WHEN WE PUT ALL THESE BIBLICAL FACTS TOGETHER, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF A PHYSICAL INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN IS INDEED REAL, AND THAT THIS WILL BE OUR HOME UNTIL CHRIST ESTABLISHES THE “ETERNAL STATE” ON THE NEW EARTH.
THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION THOUGH IS WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE READY TO BE A PART OF THE ETERNAL KINGDOM. THIS CAN ONLY OCCUR IF YOU HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD. IF YOU HAVE NOT AS YET, I IMPLORE YOU TO MAKE THIS DECISION TODAY.
